Music Fusion Festival 2023
On the last weekend of the summer term, St. Julian’s School hosted the first-ever Music Fusion Festival. This was a huge success and provided an opportunity for St. Julian’s students to join with music students from Newham, London and the Lisbon area for a weekend of rehearsals, composition work, as well as games and fun activities on the St. Julian’s campus. All the music was composed and developed over the course of the weekend under the leadership and guidance of internationally renowned music educationalist Paul Griffiths, culminating in a truly inspiring concert of entirely new music.
This year, we were fortunate to be joined by 30 students from the Orquestra Geração and Gerajazz project. Orquestra Geração, a music education project modelled after the famed El Sistema program of Venezuela, introduces instrumental music, orchestra and jazz work to young people in underprivileged areas of Portugal. The programme has proven to be highly successful at building confidence, teaching social integration, and providing inspiration to students who live with difficult financial circumstances and limited opportunities for personal development.
St. Julian’s music students acted as ambassadors for the weekend, not only for supporting our guests when they were here on campus but for fundraising tirelessly in order to make it possible for students from Eastlea School to join us for the weekend.
The final concert was in memory of our colleague Miss Kate Fereday, who was not only a wonderful teacher but loved music and travel and was passionate about working with young people. It is thanks to Mrs Cilla Fereday, Kate’s mum’s generosity, that our friends from Eastlea Community School were able to fund this trip and enjoy such a unique experience.
Mrs Ruth Forbes, Music Teacher
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